Yes! Ensuring that your international elective embodies
Fair Trade principles is essential, here's why...
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Economic Model
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Costs:
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Specific economic model and financial exchange amounts are publically accessible, proactively disclosed and regularly discussed among partners (many elective providers of certain sizes or to gain certain credentialing are required to have an audit and annual report - these, in addition to website claims, can be useful in ascertaining financial transparency. Organizations such as 501c3 in the United States are required to publish large amounts of data online, there are also websites, such as Guidestar and Charity Navigator, that can help you learn about non-profit organizations.)
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Ensure appropriate fiduciary practices by the organization i.e. not-profit model in which the money stays within hosting community, transparency around how programs fees are used and where resources go.
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Efforts made to widen participation and lower costs for students, including local / domestic students, e.g. offer financial assistance, scholarships
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Employment
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Community members are employed and receive fair remuneration, program is co-owned by partners from both sending and host countries
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Organization has staffing policies and manuals
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Organization has codes of conduct
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Resource allocation
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Economic and environmental impacts of experience are understood and discussed openly between sending institution and multiple community stakeholders
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